Affiliates:
Planned Parenthood Keystone
covers Central and Eastern Pennsylvania
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania
Locations: 21. Covered here: 21
Patients who feel a need to file a complaint:
Pennsylvania Department of Health Online Complaint Intake
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has a website which has all the health inspection reports for many of these centers. Those reports with deficiencies are included on this page, while those which passed inspection are not. We do indicate the number that passed.
The Warminster center closed, but there was quite a bit of material on it with health violations, so we have moved it to the closed center page.
Entire State
On November 24, 2020, employees of Planned Parenthood released an open letter alleging racism and poor management of severe budget cuts. It was signed by the entire staff. The letter demanded the resignation of Executive Director Emily Callum. She resigned on December 1, 2020.
Article in The Daily Beast:
Planned Parenthood’s Pennsylvania Chapter Director Resigns After Racism Claims
by Emily Shugerman, December 2, 2020
Western Pennsylvania Affiliate
These screenshots are from a video from More Perfect Union: Building Power for Working People. It’s about union organizing for Planned Parenthood. The video advocates the mission of Planned Parenthood and argues that its efforts will help make the mission more effective.
Letter admitting overbilling problem from HRSA audit, 340B Drug Pricing Program
Allentown
See this center’s Better Business Bureau page for complaints and reviews
Health Violation Documents:
There are also 19 inspections between 2014 and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
Over thirty medical instruments were covered with a reddish-brown substance, even though they were supposed to be sterile. This was an ongoing problem. In a subsequent inspection, multiple instruments still had reddish-brown stains.
The facility had no provisions for disposing of liquid waste. They washed it down the drain.
There were expired medications in the emergency kit. This was an ongoing problem, cited in multiple inspections. Intravenous fluid, used in emergencies, was also expired.
Lollipops and crackers, meant to be given to patients, were stored in close proximity to biohazardous material and medical waste in a dirty area. In a later inspection, lollipops and crackers were stored in a dirty area where blood was drawn and urine tests analyzed.
In the examination room, there was a container of cotton swabs with blood in it. This presented the risk of infection when used on patients.
There were open, partially used, undated bottles of medication. With no record of when they were opened, staff couldn’t confirm whether they were expired. This was an ongoing problem, cited in more than one inspection. Staff confirmed the facility had no policy of monitoring expiration dates for partially used medications or disposing of them.
An open container labeled “saline” was found to have white and black debris floating in it.
There was expired surgical equipment.
The facility didn’t have needed emergency supplies. Items such as sterile hemostats (an instrument used to compress or treat bleeding vessels) were missing. This was an ongoing problem, cited repeatedly in multiple inspections between 2011 and 2019.
The facility had no policies or procedures for monitoring supplies needed in emergencies.
The garbage can in the procedure room had no bag and had bloody gauze and a used catheter in it.
The refrigerator where medical waste was stored didn’t have a biohazard sticker warning of its contents as required.
Medication and cleaning solutions were stored together, in violation of regulations. This was an ongoing problem, cited in more than one inspection.
Unsterilized, unwrapped metal speculums were stored in drawers on the examination table.
Signage required by the Department of Health, including a complaint number, wasn’t posted in the waiting room.
Pads, sheets, curettes, sponges, and other medical equipment that were supposed to be clean were stored on the floor.
Biohazard buckets that held medical waste had no lids or covers.
Needles and other sharps weren’t secured. This was an ongoing problem, cited in more than one inspection, and included used needles.
Staff confirmed that heating pads and chair coverings in the recovery room weren’t cleaned between patients. This was an ongoing problem and wasn’t corrected.
An oxygen tank was found difficult to open. The facility didn’t have proper tools to open it.
Medications were kept in an unlocked cabinet.
The facility failed to monitor the temperature of medications that required refrigeration and had no policy for doing so.
Syringes full of medication were not labeled as to dosage, medication strength, expiration date, or date opened. The facility had no policy on labeling syringes.
Scrubs that were considered clean were stored on top of the dryer where dirty linens were washed. The dryer lid wasn’t cleaned, raising the possibility of cross-contamination.
The vent of the facility’s dryer had an amount of lint comparable to the size of a golf ball.
Ceiling tiles were stained and damaged. Paint was scraped off the wall.
Drapes used to cover the procedure table, and pillows were kept in the procedure room during surgeries, making them vulnerable to blood splatters.
The facility had no generator to provide power in the case of a power outage during a procedure.
There were no call buttons either in the operating rooms or in the patient bathrooms, making it difficult for patients to summon staff in an emergency.
A colposcopy machine (used to illuminate and magnify the view of the cervix) was stored in an unclean area, and four ultrasound machines were stored in an examination room. Staff admitted that the facility didn’t have adequate clean storage spaces for these machines.
The facility didn’t have oxygen available for an emergency.
Staff
The facility failed to perform criminal background checks on some of its employees. This was an ongoing problem, cited in more than one inspection.
Staff were untrained and uncertified in advanced cardiac support and CPR.
The facility failed to have guidelines for the proper dosing and administration of emergency medicine to pediatric patients requiring emergency care, and staff were untrained in this area.
The facility did not have a Director of Nursing on staff.
Staff didn’t regularly check medication storage and had no policy for doing so.
Staff didn’t properly clean the examination room, “wiping down” only horizontal surfaces.
The facility did not maintain health status files for staff.
Staff failed to conduct preventative maintenance on an ultrasonic cleaner used to sterilize instruments.
Staff failed to conduct preventative maintenance on an ultrasound machine.
Staff didn’t log the presence and amounts of medications.
The facility failed to have a policy requiring staff to wear proper attire during surgical procedures.
Medical Records and Labels
Boxes of patient records were stored under water-stained ceiling tiles. The boxes weren’t stored in a manner that prevented water damage. This was an ongoing problem, cited in more than one inspection.
Physicians failed to write or dictate post-operative surgical reports immediately after procedures.
Privacy
The facility failed to keep medical records with patient information private. Medical records were stored in a manner where patients’ names were visible.
There were no curtains between the recliners in the recovery room, limiting patient privacy. This was an ongoing problem that wasn’t fixed after first being cited.
The medical records of seventeen patients that were supposed to be confidential were left open and in full view of other patients at an unattended desk in the waiting room. The computer was also left on and unattended, meaning patients could access private medical records.
The computer’s password was written on a piece of paper taped to the wall next to the computer in full view of those in the waiting room. An unauthorized person could therefore access records on the computer while the desk was unattended.
Incidents
A woman’s uterus was perforated during surgery, and she was transferred to a hospital. The facility failed to notify the woman of her complication in writing, as required.
A second woman hemorrhaged after surgery, suffering from “excessive bleeding with noticeable large clots.” Staff called 911 and she was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The facility didn’t conduct an internal investigation into the incident and failed to report the complication to the Department of Patient Safety Authority as required. It also failed to evaluate and discuss the case at its Patient Safety Committee Meeting and made no recommendations to prevent such events in the future.
Treatment of Patients
The facility failed to ensure that there was a licensed nurse on duty in the recovery room. Patients were therefore not properly monitored for complications after surgery.
The facility failed to ensure only nonflammable agents were used for pre-surgical preparations. The facility was using an improper surgical prep (chlorhexidine gluconate solution 4.0%) to prepare patients’ cervixes for surgery.
In one inspection, the facility was found to have failed to test patients for Rh sensitization.
In other inspections, patients who were known to be Rh-negative were found not to have received RhoGAM shots. Without a RhoGAM shot, a Rh-negative patient can develop Rh sensitization after surgery. Rh sensitization can lead to stillbirth, infant death, or medical complications for the infant and mother in a subsequent pregnancy.
Physicians at the facility did not evaluate patients before administering anesthesia.
Medical practitioners did not obtain informed consent before initiating procedures.
Staff were cleaning instruments with unlabeled, possibly expired, cleaning solutions and were unaware the solution had an expiration date.
Other
Prescription pads were left in an unlocked cabinet, where they could be accessed by unauthorized personnel.
According to inspectors, the facility’s Child Abuse Policy failed to include required information and did not meet the standards of the Child Protective Services Law as mandated by the Department of Public Welfare.
The facility failed to arrange an annual fire inspection with the fire department, as required by regulations.
PA Allentown Indeed 1
Indeed.com Planned Parenthood Employee Reviews in Allentown, PA
PA Allentown Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Allentown Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Allentown Google 3. Accessed 11.10.22.
PA Allentown Google 4. Accessed 11.10.22.
PA Allentown Google 5. Accessed 11.10.22.
PA Allentown Yelp 1
PA Allentown Yelp 2
Bensalem
PA Bensalem Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Google 6. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bensalem Yelp 1
PA Bensalem Yelp 2
Bridgeville
PA Bridgeville Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bridgeville Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Bridgeville Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
Coatesville
PA Coatesville Google 1. Accessed 10.12.22.
PA Coatesville Google 2. Accessed 10.12.22.
PA Coatesville Google 3. Accessed 10.12.22.
PA Coatesville Yelp 1
Greensburg
Google reviews / No Yelp reviews page
PA Greensburg Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Greensburg Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Greensburg Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Greensburg Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Greensburg Google 4. Accessed 11.10.22.
Harrisburg
Health Violation Documents:
There are also 22 inspections between 2011 and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
One of the patient restrooms was found to be dirty.
One of the exam tables was ripped. The tear was held together with duct tape.
They had expired supplies; namely, packages of surgical gloves and a Nanosonics Trophon Chemical Indicator, which verifies the proper concentrations of solutions to sterilize instruments.
Staff
An employee had long fingernails with acrylic nail polish, which inspectors felt was unsanitary.
The facility failed to conduct performance reviews for four out of five employees.
Medical Records and Labels
The facility didn’t keep copies of reports that were submitted to the Health Department.
PA Harrisburg Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
\
PA Harrisburg Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Harrisburg Google 3. Accessed 11.10.22.
PA Harrisburg Google 4. Accessed 11.10.22.
PA Harrisburg Yelp 1
Johnstown
Google reviews / The Yelp review page was unclaimed.
PA Johnstown Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Johnstown Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
Lancaster
Dr. Daniel J. Wert Health Center
Health Violation Documents:
There are also 4 inspections between 2022 and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
Staff
The facility had no Certification of Clinical Privileges form on file for one of its doctors. He may not have been properly credentialed.
One physician didn’t have an up-to-date Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration certificate.
PA Lancaster Yelp 1
Media
PA Media Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 6. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Media Google 7. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Media Google 8. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Media Google 9. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Media Yelp 1
PA Media Yelp 2
PA Media Yelp 3
PA Media Yelp 4
Moon Township
See this center’s Better Business Bureau page for complaints and reviews
PA Moon Township Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
Norristown
Health Violation Document:
There are also 23 inspections between 2011 and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
According to the health inspection report, the facility “failed to provide a functional and sanitary environment for the provision of surgical services” and didn’t “adhere to professionally acceptable standards of practice for the sterilization and disinfection of equipment.”
Machines for sterilizing equipment were only given spore tests (mold tests) monthly when manufacturer’s instructions require weekly tests.
Surgical instruments were covered with rust. This included suture scissors, speculums, and other instruments. These instruments were being used on patients.
There was no emergency call system in the operating room or the recovery room. There was no intercom in the exam room.
The facility had no cardiac monitors or defibrillators. The facility also didn’t have any tracheostomy supplies, which might be needed in an emergency.
The facility failed to ensure that there was a “properly conditioned air supply in critical areas of the facility.”
The facility failed to monitor the temperature and humidity in operating rooms or the recovery room.
There was no nurse’s station in direct view of the recovery room.
There were no cubicle curtains for patient privacy in the recovery room.
There was no scrub station located near the operating room.
The facility’s Soiled Storage Room, where biohazardous waste was stored, was a small closet. The facility had no provision for disposing of fluid waste.
There was no area where staff could change their clothes or put on scrubs.
Dirty instruments, linens, and other items are supposed to be kept separate from clean ones and kept in different areas. Instead, sinks and counters were used for both dirty and clean items. Wrapped sterile supplies were stored in the same area as dirty items. Syringes and needles were also stored close to dirty items.
There were no temperature, humidity, or ventilation monitors where sterile supplies were stored.
Medical waste wasn’t kept in a designated area but scattered throughout the facility.
Bathrooms were not equipped with hardware that allowed staff to enter them if a patient was having a medical emergency.
There were no grab bars in the bathrooms. Therefore, they were not handicapped accessible.
Doorways, including entrances and exits from the facility, were too narrow to accommodate a gurney in case of an emergency.
The facility had no oxygen or vacuum available for emergencies.
Clean and sterile items were kept in the same area as blood and urine samples.
The facility had no room dedicated to laboratory tests.
Staff used dirty, unsterilized brushes to clean instruments.
Bottles of Tylenol with codeine, which is a controlled substance, weren’t stored in a double-locked cabinet and were therefore accessible to unauthorized persons.
Staff
There were no employees trained in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) for surgical procedures performed on children under 18 years of age. None of the doctors, nurses, or other employees were trained to conduct CPR on minors. Yet the facility had performed surgery on 77 minors in the past 11 months.
The facility didn’t have processes in place to perform criminal background checks on employees before hiring. They were not conducting background checks.
The facility failed to conduct annual performance evaluations on half of its employees.
None of the facility’s doctors were licensed to administer anesthesia, but they were administering anesthesia anyway.
Treatment of Patients
The facility didn’t have a contract or agreement with an ambulance service, putting patients in danger in case of emergencies.
Staff failed to monitor patients’ oxygen saturation while they were under anesthesia. The facility had no equipment capable of monitoring oxygen saturation. This created a risk for patients.
The facility was giving expired medications to patients.
PA Norristown Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Norristown Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Norristown Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Norristown Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Norristown Google 5. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 6. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 7. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 8. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 9. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 10. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google11. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Google 12. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Norristown Yelp 1
PA Norristown Yelp 2
Philadelphia (entire city)
Indeed.com Planned Parenthood Employee Reviews in Philadelphia, PA
PA Philadelphia Indeed 1
PA Philadelphia Indeed 2
Philadelphia
Castor Avenue
`
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 6. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 7. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 8. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 9. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 10. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 11. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 12. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 13. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 14. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 15. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 16. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 17. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 18. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 19. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 20. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 21. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Google 22. Accessed 11.29.22.
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Yelp 1
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Yelp 2
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Yelp 3
PA Philadelphia Castor Avenue Yelp 4
Philadelphia
Elizabeth Blackwell /
Locust Street
Health Violation Documents:
PA Philadelphia Locust 2012 06.05
PA Philadelphia Locust 2012 12.3
PA Philadelphia Locust 2012 12.11
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
According to the inspection report “the facility failed to provide a safe and sanitary environment.”
The cushion of a bench patients were expected to sit on was covered with multiple dark stains – likely blood or bodily fluids.
The area where drugs, including narcotics, were stored wasn’t periodically checked by a pharmacist or practitioner, and no log was kept.
The facility failed to maintain temperatures per established guidelines in the Recovery Area. It was too cold.
20 Gauze Sponge packets used in surgery were stored under a sink in the procedure room.
The facility’s lab refrigerator/freezer, for storing control tests, had a buildup of ice.
All of the wraps and pouches of sterilized instruments had wet stains on them.
A metal container in the sterile processing room wasn’t properly sterilized.
There were multiple darkened stained areas on the carpeted floor in the recovery room.
The facility had no policy on how long to soak instruments in sterilizing solution as per the manufacturer’s instructions. This could lead to instruments being used on women that weren’t properly sterilized.
The facility failed to properly store human tissue, creating unsanitary conditions. Biohazardous waste was stored in an unlocked refrigerator in an unlocked closet. Biohazard bags were undated.
The facility was cited for numerous health code violations, and the facility’s administration submitted a plan of correction. When the inspectors came back the next year, this plan hadn’t been implemented. According to the report: “the facility failed to correct deficient practice and failed to follow the Plan of Correction submitted to, and accepted by, the Department of a full State Licensure survey… for one of six deficiencies cited.”
Staff
The facility failed to request and consider reports from the National Practitioner Data Bank for employees, which is a tool to prevent medical professionals from moving from state to state without disclosing previous medical malpractice.
Treatment of Patients
The facility wasn’t reporting statutory rape or sexual assault of minors. They had no policy in place to do so.
In 6 of 6 cases of pregnant minors under 16, the facility failed to ascertain whether the girls were victims of abuse by an adult and failed to report the incidents. These were four 13-year-olds and two 14-year-olds who were pregnant. No questions were asked, and no reports were made. Two of the minors reported that their first sexual intercourse occurred when they were twelve or younger. This wasn’t reported.
The facility failed to do physical examinations and assess patients’ physical status before administering anesthesia and doing surgery.
The facility failed to have a doctor supervise the nurse who gave anesthesia, nor were any doctors certified to give this supervision. The nurse giving anesthesia was not registered with the National Practitioner Data Bank.
Incidents
A patient suffered a “serious event,” i.e., a complication, and the facility failed to notify her in writing of the complication within seven days, as required.
Other
When the entity that owns the facility (Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania) held a Risk and Quality Management meeting for all its affiliates, no one from the facility attended.
No policy for sex abuse reporting
Document:
Excerpt:
Based on feedback from surveyor during the August 29, 2013 survey, the surgical center manager reviewed Pennsylvania State law and PPSP protocols specific to mandatory reporting at center staff meeting on September 17, 2013. PPSP Chief Operating Officer and Manager of Center Quality with legal consultation will revise current protocol to include language on when to ascertain if the child had sexual intercourse with an individual who was four or more years older than the child. The revised protocol will be in place by January 15, 2014 . . .
Lack of documentation when reporting child sexual abuse as revealed in survey 8/29/13 was reviewed at the 9/17/13 center staff meeting. Detailed instructions on required documentation was reviewed.
Google reviews / Yelp reviews – Elizabeth Blackwell Center.
There are different Google reviews for the Locust Street Center at the same address, and no Yelp reviews page was found. Reviews from both are copied below.
This is one of the cases where there were many reviews not included because they briefly listed the same problems that were covered in more detail by other reviews.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
Note: The official Nexplanon website is clear that the implant should be removed after 3 years, no more.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 6. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 7. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 8. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 10. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 11. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 12. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 13. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 14. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 15. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 16. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 17. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 18. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 19. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Google 20. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Yelp 1
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Yelp 2
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Yelp 3
PA Philadelphia Blackwell Locust Yelp 4
Philadelphia
Far Northeast
Health Violation Document:
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2012 05.31
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2012 12.04
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2012 12.12
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2013 05.20
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2013 10.24
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2013 11.18
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2014 09.11
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2014 09.16
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2015 08.13
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2015 08.27
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2015 11.04
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2016 08.10
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2017 08.19
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2017 11.30
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2018 02.16
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2018 09.10
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2019 10.11
PA Philadelphia – Far Northeast 2019 10.17
Highlights:
This is the highlight from the 08.13.15 report. We have only recently found the rest, and highlights from them will be coming soon.
Potentially infectious pathological waste was improperly stored. The facility had no freezer or refrigerator for storing human tissue, so they stored it at room temperature. Staff didn’t use preservatives, but simply boxed the tissue to be picked up by a waste disposal company. This presented a health hazard due to potentially decomposing human tissue.
PA Philadelphia Far Northeast Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Far Northeast Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Philadelphia Far Northeast Google 3. Accessed 12.01.22.
Pittsburgh
Health Violation Documents:
These are primarily “Patient Care Surveys.” Those that are instead “Building Safety Surveys” are marked with (B)
PA Pittsburgh 2014 01.24 (B)
There are also 41 Patient Care inspections between 2011 and 2024 and 11 Building Safety inspections in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
These highlights are from the 2013 and 2016 reports. We found the remaining recently, and highlights for the whole set are coming soon.
Clinic Conditions
According to the inspection report, “the facility failed to keep the premises and equipment clean.”
There were multiple large stains on the carpet on the floor of the patient waiting room.
In the ultrasound room, there was heavy dust on the sharps container, paper towel dispenser, and picture frames.
In the operating rooms, there was excessive dust on picture frames, paper towel dispensers, cabinet tops, and door frames.
In the dirty utility room, there was a buildup of dried sanitizing material adhering to the bottom and sides of the wash station. This was where instruments were cleaned.
The facility failed to maintain medications within the recommended temperature ranges noted on the manufacturer packaging for four out of four medications.
Staff
The facility failed to document background checks on employees, as was required.
Google reviews – Family Planning Center / Google reviews – Abortion Center / Yelp reviews
PA Pittsburgh Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pittsburgh Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pittsburgh Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pittsburgh Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pittsburgh Yelp 1
Pottstown
PA Pottstown Google 1. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Pottstown Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pottstown Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Pottstown Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
Reading
Stanley
Health Violation Documents:
There are also 24 inspections between 2012 and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights coming soon.
PA Reading Indeed 1
Indeed.com Planned Parenthood Employee Reviews in Reading, PA
PA Reading Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Reading Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Reading Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Reading Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Reading Yelp 1
Upper Darby
PA Upper Darby Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Upper Darby Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Upper Darby Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Upper Darby Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Upper Darby Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Upper Darby Google 6. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Upper Darby Google 7. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Upper Darby Google 8. Accessed 12.01.22.
West Chester
Health Violation Documents:
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
A foul odor was noted and was present throughout the facility.
The suction machines used in surgery didn’t have a preventive maintenance label to indicate the inspection date. There was no indication they’d been inspected.
Medical supplies were expired, including a box of masks that had been expired for five years and two packages of gowns that had been expired for four.
Human tissue from surgery was stored in a paper bag that was leaking blood in the refrigerator.
The facility failed to ensure that linen was handled in a manner to minimize contamination. Linens weren’t washed long enough, and the clinic staff didn’t monitor the temperature of water to determine if it was hot enough to properly sterilize the linens.
The facility failed to inspect and properly maintain the ventilation system.
The facility failed to monitor the temperature and humidity levels in the operating rooms and post-anesthesia care area.
Automatic fire extinguishing systems and fire alarms weren’t inspected and tested.
Grab bars were missing in the patient bathroom, meaning it was not handicapped accessible.
There were no cubicle curtains for privacy in the recovery room.
The soiled work area and clean work area were located together in the same room, raising the risk of cross-contamination.
The facility didn’t meet structural requirements – the floor didn’t have sealed seams and the operating rooms were too small.
There were no hands-free scrub sinks located outside the operating rooms.
The facility failed to ensure controlled substances were properly secured. For example, 26 containers of Tylenol with Codeine were left in an open cardboard container on the countertop in the recovery room.
According to an inspection report, “the facility failed to adhere to professionally acceptable standards of practice to assure a functional and sanitary environment.”
Staff
One of the doctors who maintained a supply of controlled substances, dispensed, and prescribed controlled substances didn’t have the proper certification from the DEA.
The facility failed to conduct background checks on its employees and didn’t have a policy for doing so.
There was no documentation that a doctor had privileges to administer anesthesia. There was no delineation of privileges regarding doctors administering anesthesia.
Medical Records and Labels
The facility failed to have a written policy regarding the retention of medical records. It also failed to have a policy specifying which employees had access to medical records and under what conditions they could be released.
There was no plan to evacuate medical records in case of an emergency.
Treatment of Patients
The facility had a policy in place to monitor patients’ blood pressure after surgery by taking vital signs every 15 minutes. However, this wasn’t done for 11 out of 25 patients.
The facility failed to provide a written policy for the discharge of an incompetent patient, i.e., a patient who couldn’t consent to medical care because of age or mental condition.
Other
Managers had erroneously instructed employees that they could turn away health inspectors if the inspectors arrived on a day that surgeries were being done.
The facility failed to conduct fire drills.
The facility was not annually inspected by the fire department.
October 21, 2022
Google reviews – Surgical Center / Google reviews – West Chester Center / Yelp reviews
PA West Chester Google 1. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA West Chester Google 2. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA West Chester Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA West Chester Google 4. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA West Chester Yelp 1
PA West Chester Yelp 2
PA West Chester Yelp 3
PA West Chester Yelp 4
Wilkes-Barre
Health Violation Document:
Highlights coming soon.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 1. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 2. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 3. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 4. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 5. Accessed 05.15.21.
PA Wilkes- Barre Google 6. Accessed 05.15.21.
York
See this center’s Better Business Bureau page for complaints and reviews
Health Violation Documents:
There are also 28 inspections between 2011and 2024 in which the facility was found to be in compliance with regulations.
Highlights:
Clinic Conditions
The facility had no emergency call system in the bathrooms, operating rooms, and recovery area.
The facility failed to ensure the ventilation system was inspected and maintained. They therefore failed to ensure that air quality was kept at proper filtration, humidity, and temperature requirements in operating rooms and the recovery room.
The facility had no fire extinguishing systems or fire alarms.
Ceilings consisted of textured tiles that were not scrubbable or gasketed.
There were no scrub sinks located outside of the procedure rooms.
Doors in the facility were too narrow to admit a gurney in case a patient needed to be transferred to the hospital in an emergency.
The facility failed to have emergency equipment readily available for resuscitation purposes for procedures using local anesthesia.
The only oxygen tanks in the facility were empty.
Staff
The facility failed to request and consider reports from the National Practitioner Data Bank for both of its doctors. The facility credentialed doctors without examining and taking into account these reports. The National Practitioner Data Bank is a tool that prevents medical professionals from moving from state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous medical malpractice.
The facility failed to ensure that a Registered Nurse was a member of the Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee. There was no RN on the committee, as required.
Staff didn’t have training or education in infection control.
Medical Records and Labels
None of the medical records contained documentation that the patients were assessed for nausea and vomiting before discharge.
No post-operative surgical reports were written for six out of six patients.
Entries in medical records weren’t dated and authenticated by the person making the entries. Paperwork wasn’t signed or dated in 100% of cases.
The facility didn’t have a policy regarding the preservation of medical records.
Incidents
The facility failed to administer a RhoGAM shot to a woman who was Rh-Negative. This could lead to Rh sensitization, which can cause serious complications and infant death or disability in future pregnancies.
A patient suffered medical complication, and the facility failed to notify the patient in writing of the event within seven days because, at the time, they had no patient safety officer.
Treatment of Patients
The facility failed to ensure practitioners documented informed consent.
The facility failed to conduct a physical exam and evaluation before performing surgery or giving anesthesia for six of six patients whose records were examined.
The facility failed to ensure patients were properly identified by the operating surgeon before the start of surgery for six of six medical records reviewed. In every case, the surgeon didn’t identify the patient prior to the start of the procedure.
Other
The facility failed to ensure that a committee was established for the prevention, control, and investigation of infection.
The facility didn’t have written policies and procedures that only authorized persons in the proper attire could be in the surgical area.
The facility failed to establish a workable plan with the nearest fire department.
The facility failed to conduct fire drills.
PA York Google 1. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA York Google 2. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA York Google 3. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA York Google 4. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA York Google 5. Accessed 12.01.22.
PA York Google 6. Accessed 12.01.22.
